Pantry, cupboards, your kitchen counter – wherever you place to put your kitchen essentials is, you’ve probably got a couple of items that your purchase to keep on hand. If you take a minute to write them down, I bet they’d say a lot about who you are!
I posted a little quiz yesterday on Facebook and Twitter, asking my friends and followers what their pantry staples were. For those that I knew, it was almost a little funny to see their responses because it said so much about their character! I also received great feedback and ideas for things I should probably keep in my pantry, too.
Here were some of the common items that multiple people mentioned:
- Cream of whatever soup – literally, people said “cream of anything”
- Rice
- Chicken broth/stock
- Hot sauce, or specifically Sriracha
- Pasta and noodles
- Olive oil
- Beans
- Peanut butter
- Canned tomatoes
Others that were not so typical:
- Alex mentioned hot peppers, and that he never leaves the house without lemon pepper – interesting! He’s a very creative individual.
- My boyfriend Rahul said cereal – of course because he eats cereal as a snack and NEVER for breakfast, but definitely a staple in our house.
- Stephanie brought up Cajun seasoning “because it can make anything taste better” – she’s vegetarian, so I totally understand why that’s important. Some veggie food can be very bland and needs to be “kicked up a notch,” as Emeril would say!
- Carrie, the owner of Frittle Candy, always keeps rice noodles, coconut milk and yellow curry sauce from Trader Joe’s on hand.
- My college roommate Bek keeps Sriracha, lots of rice, dried beans and lentils. She’s also vegetarian. See a theme here?
- Amber brought up sesame oil – she and her husband use it as a replacement for olive oil.
- And Megan, my best friend in high school, says “garlic, garlic, and more garlic.” Totally fits her character. And no, you really can’t have too much garlic, ever.
Common themes? Seems like a majority of my friends and followers keep items on hand that have a long shelf-life and a variety of applications. A jar of Sriracha will last quite a long time.
What are my pantry staples? I’m so glad you asked!
- A Bear Creek soup – usually between $3 and $4, this soup makes enough servings to have leftovers. Anytime I start thinking about needing something FAST, I turn to this. My favorite is the navy bean one.
- Morningstar Farms chicken patties/chicken nuggets – Yeah, I’ll heat up a chicken patty for breakfast or lunch. I like how quickly I can get a protein to help fend off hunger pains until it’s time for a real meal. Plus, they are delicious!
- A few kinds of pasta and a jar of sauce
- Noodle soup
- Chicken and beef bouillon cubes – sometimes more versatile than stock, but a different flavor than the boxed stuff.
- Peanut butter, paired with one of 5 jams in my refrigerator at any time
- Baking supplies – flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, confectioner’s sugar, white granular sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, corn syrup,
- Spices (this list really could go on and on) – kosher salt, ground black pepper, seasoned salt, garlic salt, dried dill, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, Penzey’s pasta sprinkle (can replace basil, oregano, thyme)
- Garlic and onions
- Condiments, sauces, and dressings – Newman’s Own Olive Oil and Vinegar, soy sauce, white distilled/white wine/red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, Sriracha, ketchup, yellow/dijion/whole grain mustard
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